Police aim to curb illegal Bank Holiday raves in Northamptonshire

Nick Spoors

People have been asked by police to keep an eye out for illegal raves over the May Day Bank Holiday.

Northamptonshire Police relies on information from the public when responding to raves, either to be made aware one is happening or to be informed of suspicious activity that could indicate one is being planned.

They say raves can be disruptive in terms of noise and nuisance and can be more difficult to clear once established.

A police spokesman said: “We want to remind people, especially those in rural communities, to be alert to any suspicious activity.

“We can nip illegal raves in the bud and stop them taking place if we have reliable information.

“We’re often alerted to raves by people calling us to complain about a sudden increase in traffic and anti-social behaviour as people arrive at a venue.

“I would also urge people to be on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary in their community, no matter how trivial it may seem.

“In many cases those people who are looking to set-up a rave will visit the proposed site a couple of days before the event and I would urge anyone who spots any suspicious activity in their village, along a country road or around farm land to let us know.”

Police said they would like to hear from people if they notice the following:-

- Posters or messages advertising a rave

- Cropped bolts on a gate

- People in cars or vans stopping to look into a field or climbing over a fence into a field

- Flattened or disturbed hedgerows

- Anyone acting suspiciously

Members of the public can report suspicious activity via the ‘Do it online’ button at www.northants.police.uk or by calling 101.